Hatsune gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, as Nae supported him. They hurriedly moved towards the direction leading down the mountain, urging the others to stop searching and immediately head to the mountainside.
Although the group didn't understand what was happening, they saw the terror and urgency on Hatsune's face. Even when he faced three demons alone, he had never looked this distressed. Realizing he must have sensed something, they quickly stayed alert and gathered around Hatsune and Nae.
The group swiftly made their way down the mountain.
Kimura didn't want to leave Emiko behind, but what could he do against something that even scared Hatsune? He had no choice but to join the others in escaping.
Shortly after they left, a fountain-like splash arose from the lake, slowly forming a human-shaped column of water in the center.
As the water column reached a certain height, it receded back into the lake, leaving a pitch-black figure standing in the middle.
The sound of fish crowded together came from the lake, making the entire surface start to boil.
Black tendrils extended from the figure's feet, spreading across the lake and climbing onto the rocks on the shore—it was hair.
The scratches Hatsune had found on the rocks were left by hair.
A ripple formed beneath the eerie figure in the lake, lifting it slowly towards the shore. The long, black hair covered its face and body, glistening ominously under the moonlight.
The figure began to follow the path Hatsune and the others had taken, leaving wet footprints and spreading hair like living creatures into the surrounding forest.
"Moonlight shining, the lake so clear…"
As Hatsune and the group hurried through the forest, a child's song echoed behind them, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
The song was beautiful, but at this time and place, it was eerie and out of place.
"Did you… did you hear that? A woman is singing," one of the participants asked, pointing behind him with a confused look.
He initially thought he was hearing things, but seeing everyone else's expressions, he knew he wasn't mistaken—someone was indeed singing.
No one responded to him; everyone was focused on moving quickly.
"Could it be those people from earlier trying to send us a signal?" he suggested.
But really, how absurd would it be to use singing as a signal?
Mount Fujikasane wasn't that large, and it wasn't hard to bump into each other. The song was ethereal and beautiful, but who among those who had survived seven days would sing like that?
The most crucial point was, of the few who went missing, only Emiko was a girl, and this voice was not hers. If not Emiko, then who?
The answer was obvious!
Soon, they reached the clearing where Kimura's group had rested on the first day of the climb, with the Wisteria forest behind them leading down the mountain.
With their backs to the Wisteria forest, everyone tensed up, drawing their Nichirin Swords and aiming them at the dark forest ahead.
The ethereal song floated from the forest, no longer beautiful, but instead a chilling curse that made everyone's hair stand on end and sent cold sweat down their backs.
Hatsune, Nae, and Akino stood together, protecting Yuka behind them.
Hatsune spoke, "Listen, this thing is stronger than all the demons we've encountered combined. If we can't beat it, remember to prioritize your life and forget about the assessment."
It sounded like he was talking to both the two beside him and everyone else.
There was less than half an hour until sunrise.
The song grew closer, and the rustling sounds from the forest reminded them of the first night's mass demon attack.
After a few long minutes, the song abruptly stopped as it neared, and everyone's hearts leaped into their throats as silence fell.
"It's here," Hatsune warned urgently.
Everyone followed his gaze, seeing a figure with disheveled hair standing in the darkness, the hair so long it reached the ground, seemingly swallowing the entire figure.
"What… what is that?" someone in the group asked, trembling.
It was a redundant question. What else could it be but a demon?
"Watch out!"
Suddenly, Hatsune sensed a cold aura approaching rapidly. Before he could finish shouting "Watch out," it was too late.
With a chilling scream, a participant was grabbed by a bundle of hair around their ankle and dragged into a clearing.
Before anyone could react, a horrifying scene unfolded. The hair, like living creatures, swarmed the participant, and in the blink of an eye, they were engulfed.
The muffled cries for help gradually faded into silence.
Kimura finally realized that Emiko might really be dead.
From a team of thirty to forty participants at the start, now only eight remained, including himself. Three on the right wielded their Nichirin Swords, retreating in fear from the recent horror.
On the left, despite his severe injuries, Hatsune's eyes remained determined and unyielding. Perhaps they were the ones the Demon Slayer Corps truly needed.
A sense of defeat rose within Kimura. Reflecting on the past seven days and Emiko's disappearance, he suddenly felt he might not be cut out for the Demon Slayer Corps.
"I give up. Take care, everyone."
Kimura glanced at Hatsune and the others, then turned and jumped into the Wisteria forest, walking away with a relieved smile, tears streaming down his face.
This seven-day ordeal on Mount Fujikasane would undoubtedly be a nightmare he'd never forget.
"We give up too. Be careful."
Seeing Kimura give up, the other three followed suit, jumping into the Wisteria forest.
In a blink, only Hatsune's group of four remained.
Hatsune said, "You three should go too. Making it this far is already impressive. No one will blame you for leaving now."
"What about you? Are you going to keep going in this state?" Akino asked.
Hatsune removed the weighted wristbands and leg weights.
Seeing the twenty kilograms of weights on the ground, the three were stunned.
They knew Hatsune was strong, but just how strong? Except for Nae, the others had never seen his full power. Even now, it wasn't his full strength, which was shocking.
"I have no choice. This assessment has only two outcomes for me: either I die here or pass."
Hatsune used the leg weight straps to bind his broken left wrist and arm to his waist. Since it was useless, it shouldn't be in the way.
"I'm not leaving either."
Nae showed rare determination. She knew she was different, and these seven days had made her realize that the Demon Slayer Corps might be the only ones who could accept her and not see her as a monster.
Akino glanced at Yuka, exchanged a look, then turned back and said, "We've come this far, and it's almost sunrise. It'd be a shame to give up now."
Hatsune didn't say anything more. Everyone had their choices, and he couldn't interfere.
"Be careful. I can't help you anymore."
"It's okay. Don't worry about us."
Hatsune nodded, took a deep breath, and despite the pain in his lungs, he gritted his teeth and swung his sword, creating several ice spikes.
The ice spikes landed in front of the four, embedding into the ground, forming a defensive circle connected by cold air with the Wisteria forest behind them.